There are many varieties of canola that are available for commercial production. CANTERRA 1990 is a superior hybrid seed that has been shown to consistently have a higher yield than its leading competitors (CS, 2014). This seed is resistant to blackleg and fusarium wilt and is suitable to all growing zones (CS, 2014).
Canola History:
Canola is an offspring from a variety of rapeseed from the Brassica species. Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family, which also includes important crops such as; turnips, cauliflower, cabbage and mustard (SC 2009). While during the second world, Canadian farmers grew "rapeseed" as an oil lubricant on steam engines, the oil produced had high levels of glucosinolates and erucic which essentially made the oil inedible (Reece, et al. 2014). In the early 1960's, Dr. Keith Downey, a researcher from the university of Saskatoon, and Dr. Baldur Stefansson, a professor at the University of Manitoba, worked together to breed a new oil seed that could be grown in Canada (Reece, et al. 2014). As a result of many generations of crossing plants, Downey and Stefansson were able to create a species that had low levels of both erucic acid and glucosinolates in the seed portion of the plant- canola (Bell, 1981). Canola stands for Canadian Oil, Low Acid (CCC,2014). Canola oil popularity around the world has grown extremely fast; making it one of the most widely consumed oils in the world (CCC,2014). Canada is the second largest producer in the world (Reece, et al. 2014), and is considered one of Canada’s most valuable crops- contributing $19.3 billion to the Canadian economy each year (CCC 2014).
Grown in Canada:
Predominately, Canadian canola production is concentrated in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba; although a sizable amount of crop is grown in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia (SC, 2009). As most of the growing regions are centered around western Canada; it is there where most economic benefits are found (CCC, 2014).
Health and Nutritional Information:
There are two products produced from the processing of canola seeds. The first, and most valuable of the two is canola oil. Canola oil has the lowest saturated fat level of all vegetable oils. It is rich in two fatty acids that are essential in our diet: Alpha-Linolenic acid- omega-3 fatty acid and Linoleic acid- omega-6 fatty acid. Alpha- Linolenic acid has been shown to protect against heart attacks and strokes by helping to lower bad cholesterol (CCC, 2014). Linoleic acid- omega-6 fatty acid- is important for growth and development of infants (CCC, 2014). One serving of canola oil each day delivers about a quarter of the daily requirements of vitamin E – an antioxidant that protects your body’s fats and proteins from free radical damage (CCC, 2014). Vitamin E also may help reduce heart disease risk, cancer and memory loss (CCC, 2014).
Canola meal is the by-product of processing the seeds for oil. It is one of the most widely used protein sources for animal feed (CCC, 2014). It is palatable and non-toxic with low levels of glucosinolates and an excellent amino acid profile. As canola is one of the grains defined in the Canada Grain Regulations, the Canadian Grain Commission maintains quality standards for canola (GC, 2013); therefore it can be said with accuracy that minimum crude protein guarantee for Canadian canola meal is 36% (CCC, 2014). Similar to many vegetable protein sources, canola meal has high levels of methionine acid and cysteine. When introduced into lactating dairy cows diets, canola meal has been shown to increase mean milk production by 1.0 kg per day, when compared to diets containing cottonseed meal or soybean meal (CCC, 2014).
Canola Market:
Canada is the second largest producer of canola in the world (Reece et al 2014); canola alone contributes $19.3 billion to the Canadian economy each year (CCC 2014). Canada exports 90% of the canola produced, making the access to global markets incredibly important to the industries success (CCC, 2014). The canola market in Canada is an open market, meaning that the grower sells directly to the buyer or grain handling and exporting company (CCC, 2014). In order for the success of the canola industry to continue The Canola Market Access Plan –designed by a joint effort of both the Canola Council of Canada and the Government of Canada- suggests that maintaining and growing market access is critical (CCC, 2014). As only 7 countries are recipients of the majority of exported canola seeds and oil, canola has the potential to expand its market into other counties.
Environmental Sustainability in Canada:
Improving production efficiency is a key way to reduce the ecological footprint of canola production. Due to advances though the Canadian canola research and the adaption of Canadian farmers to those strategies, growing canola is becoming more efficient (CCC,2014). Between 1986 and 2006, a model based estimate of the carbon footprint of canola production in the Canadian Prairies showed that the green house gases emission intensities decreased by 65% due to higher yields (Shrestha B.M, et al. 2013). Although canola production has become more efficient, the prairies have still seen an increase of 13% in green house gas emissions, due to the doubling of canola production (Shrestha B.M, et al. 2013). In the future, it is aspired that new technology and new varieties of canola will lower this threshold.
There are a number of sustainability projects underway funded by the Canola Council of Canada to increase grower sustainability with minimal impacts to the environment. One to name is the consistent and environmentally sound canola production project. The objective of this project is to determine the best management practices for consistent and environmentally sound production of high quality canola from the oil and meal markets. A second project underway is exploring the ecological impact of canola-inclusive cropping systems in western Canada. The objective of this project is to identify weed species associated with production and determine if shifts in species abundance and community have occurred over time in farmer’s fields (CCC, 2014).
References:
Bell J.M. (1981). From rapeseed to canola: a brief history of research for superior meal and edible oil. Poultry Science, 61 (4), 613-
622. Retrieved from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/61/4/613.short
Canola Council of Canada. (2014). Oil and Meal. Retrieved from http://canolacouncil.org/oil-and-meal/
Canterra Seeds. (2010). Canterra 1990. Retreived from http://www.canterra.com/home/products/canola/canterra_1990/#
Canadian Grain Commission. (2013). Canadian Canola. Retrieved from http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/canola/cm-mc-eng.htm
Reece JB, Urry LA, Cain ML, Wasserman SA, Minorsky PV, Jackson RB Rawle F, Durnford D, Moyes C, Walde S, et al. 2014. Campbell
Biology, Canadian Edition. Canadian ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education. 859-860.
Shrestha B.M., Desjardins R.l., McConkey B.G., Worth D.E., Dyer J.A., Cerkowniak D.D. (2014). Change in carbon footprint of canola
production in the Canadian prairies from 1986 to 2006. Renewable Energy. 63 641. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148113005533
Statistics Canada. 2009. Canola: a Canadian success story. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/96-325-
x/2007000/article/10778-eng.htm
Canola History:
Canola is an offspring from a variety of rapeseed from the Brassica species. Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family, which also includes important crops such as; turnips, cauliflower, cabbage and mustard (SC 2009). While during the second world, Canadian farmers grew "rapeseed" as an oil lubricant on steam engines, the oil produced had high levels of glucosinolates and erucic which essentially made the oil inedible (Reece, et al. 2014). In the early 1960's, Dr. Keith Downey, a researcher from the university of Saskatoon, and Dr. Baldur Stefansson, a professor at the University of Manitoba, worked together to breed a new oil seed that could be grown in Canada (Reece, et al. 2014). As a result of many generations of crossing plants, Downey and Stefansson were able to create a species that had low levels of both erucic acid and glucosinolates in the seed portion of the plant- canola (Bell, 1981). Canola stands for Canadian Oil, Low Acid (CCC,2014). Canola oil popularity around the world has grown extremely fast; making it one of the most widely consumed oils in the world (CCC,2014). Canada is the second largest producer in the world (Reece, et al. 2014), and is considered one of Canada’s most valuable crops- contributing $19.3 billion to the Canadian economy each year (CCC 2014).
Grown in Canada:
Predominately, Canadian canola production is concentrated in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba; although a sizable amount of crop is grown in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia (SC, 2009). As most of the growing regions are centered around western Canada; it is there where most economic benefits are found (CCC, 2014).
Health and Nutritional Information:
There are two products produced from the processing of canola seeds. The first, and most valuable of the two is canola oil. Canola oil has the lowest saturated fat level of all vegetable oils. It is rich in two fatty acids that are essential in our diet: Alpha-Linolenic acid- omega-3 fatty acid and Linoleic acid- omega-6 fatty acid. Alpha- Linolenic acid has been shown to protect against heart attacks and strokes by helping to lower bad cholesterol (CCC, 2014). Linoleic acid- omega-6 fatty acid- is important for growth and development of infants (CCC, 2014). One serving of canola oil each day delivers about a quarter of the daily requirements of vitamin E – an antioxidant that protects your body’s fats and proteins from free radical damage (CCC, 2014). Vitamin E also may help reduce heart disease risk, cancer and memory loss (CCC, 2014).
Canola meal is the by-product of processing the seeds for oil. It is one of the most widely used protein sources for animal feed (CCC, 2014). It is palatable and non-toxic with low levels of glucosinolates and an excellent amino acid profile. As canola is one of the grains defined in the Canada Grain Regulations, the Canadian Grain Commission maintains quality standards for canola (GC, 2013); therefore it can be said with accuracy that minimum crude protein guarantee for Canadian canola meal is 36% (CCC, 2014). Similar to many vegetable protein sources, canola meal has high levels of methionine acid and cysteine. When introduced into lactating dairy cows diets, canola meal has been shown to increase mean milk production by 1.0 kg per day, when compared to diets containing cottonseed meal or soybean meal (CCC, 2014).
Canola Market:
Canada is the second largest producer of canola in the world (Reece et al 2014); canola alone contributes $19.3 billion to the Canadian economy each year (CCC 2014). Canada exports 90% of the canola produced, making the access to global markets incredibly important to the industries success (CCC, 2014). The canola market in Canada is an open market, meaning that the grower sells directly to the buyer or grain handling and exporting company (CCC, 2014). In order for the success of the canola industry to continue The Canola Market Access Plan –designed by a joint effort of both the Canola Council of Canada and the Government of Canada- suggests that maintaining and growing market access is critical (CCC, 2014). As only 7 countries are recipients of the majority of exported canola seeds and oil, canola has the potential to expand its market into other counties.
Environmental Sustainability in Canada:
Improving production efficiency is a key way to reduce the ecological footprint of canola production. Due to advances though the Canadian canola research and the adaption of Canadian farmers to those strategies, growing canola is becoming more efficient (CCC,2014). Between 1986 and 2006, a model based estimate of the carbon footprint of canola production in the Canadian Prairies showed that the green house gases emission intensities decreased by 65% due to higher yields (Shrestha B.M, et al. 2013). Although canola production has become more efficient, the prairies have still seen an increase of 13% in green house gas emissions, due to the doubling of canola production (Shrestha B.M, et al. 2013). In the future, it is aspired that new technology and new varieties of canola will lower this threshold.
There are a number of sustainability projects underway funded by the Canola Council of Canada to increase grower sustainability with minimal impacts to the environment. One to name is the consistent and environmentally sound canola production project. The objective of this project is to determine the best management practices for consistent and environmentally sound production of high quality canola from the oil and meal markets. A second project underway is exploring the ecological impact of canola-inclusive cropping systems in western Canada. The objective of this project is to identify weed species associated with production and determine if shifts in species abundance and community have occurred over time in farmer’s fields (CCC, 2014).
References:
Bell J.M. (1981). From rapeseed to canola: a brief history of research for superior meal and edible oil. Poultry Science, 61 (4), 613-
622. Retrieved from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/61/4/613.short
Canola Council of Canada. (2014). Oil and Meal. Retrieved from http://canolacouncil.org/oil-and-meal/
Canterra Seeds. (2010). Canterra 1990. Retreived from http://www.canterra.com/home/products/canola/canterra_1990/#
Canadian Grain Commission. (2013). Canadian Canola. Retrieved from http://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/canola/cm-mc-eng.htm
Reece JB, Urry LA, Cain ML, Wasserman SA, Minorsky PV, Jackson RB Rawle F, Durnford D, Moyes C, Walde S, et al. 2014. Campbell
Biology, Canadian Edition. Canadian ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education. 859-860.
Shrestha B.M., Desjardins R.l., McConkey B.G., Worth D.E., Dyer J.A., Cerkowniak D.D. (2014). Change in carbon footprint of canola
production in the Canadian prairies from 1986 to 2006. Renewable Energy. 63 641. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148113005533
Statistics Canada. 2009. Canola: a Canadian success story. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/96-325-
x/2007000/article/10778-eng.htm